


Keeping Secrets

by MaddieBoBaddie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Original Character(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 05:35:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22061911
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaddieBoBaddie/pseuds/MaddieBoBaddie
Summary: She'd done everything she could to keep her family safe, even though that meant hiding away the daughter of the man she loved. She should have known that it was only a matter of time before the years of secrets came crashing down.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 17





	Keeping Secrets

The woman weaved through the crowd quickly, making herself and the four year old she was totting as small as possible. It wasn’t hard to remain inconspicuous, there was no real reason why anyone would cast a second glance at her. Yet, she still kept her guard up as she marched determinedly down the sidewalk. She was out in the streets only as long as she absolutely needed. And she absolutely needed to feed herself and her daughter.

The little girl buried her face in her mother’s wool coat, keeping her reddening nose out of the cold autumn air as much as she could. Her small hands clung onto the cloth bag, upholding her only job with care. She carried the empty bag with purpose, feeling good about her contribution to the errand. She didn’t get to come outside often, but she enjoyed watching the hustle and bustle of the streets of the Ukrainian city. It was the perfect place to be if you wanted to be hidden from the world; just big enough to blend into the crowd, yet obscure enough that not many people came to visit the mundane town.

Once the woman saw the cluster of stands she set the girl down next to her, clutching her hand tightly as she led her daughter to the fruit stand. She fished in her pocket, pulling out the money she’d counted out for what she needed. She knew she could get by on it, but it was going to be tight. The woman approached the stall with confidence, not letting herself seem open to being taken advantage of by the burly vendor.

“мені потрібно три яблука,” she said to him, pointing at the basket of apples.

“це буде десять гривні.” She scowled at the man, shaking her head. She knew it had cost less than what he asking, only a week ago it had been nearly half that. She wondered if it was because it was the man tending the booth, and not his wife this time around.

“Минулого тижня це не коштувало стільки. Це коштувало лише шість,” She argued with him, trying to get him to lower his prices. She wasn’t about to be hustled like this.

“Mama?” She felt a tug on her hand, and her daughter picked up a plum from a different basket, gesturing as though to ask her to buy some.

“No baby, not today.” She took the plum from her hand, putting it back in its place, as she continued to argue with the man over the price of his apples. As she did, the world around her suddenly became less important, and her guard was down as she put her focus on the minor transaction. She normally wouldn’t have let that happen. Honestly, she usually wasn’t so affected by these kinds of situations. But today she was more tired and stressed than usual, and her mind was incapable of multitasking.

Her heated discussion was what drew the man’s attention. He was walking down the street, opposite side of where she was, when he heard her angered tone drift above the bustle of the crowd. He’d been listening for it for years, knowing he was getting closer and closer to finding it. Hearing it now made him freeze in place, a sudden pang erupting from deep in his chest. He knew immediately.

The woman felt her daughter starting to wander from her, but she pulled her back so she was pressed against her right leg. She whispered to her to stay right next to her. It was then that she realized the intensity of her tone, and she backed off a bit. She ran back over amount in her hand, using her thumb to quickly count the cash.

“I don’t have much, please.” She spoke in English, desperation lacing her voice. The man seemed to understand regardless, but still told her it would cost her ten. Before she could try and beg more, a deep voice sounded from left of her, addressing the vendor.

“Ось, тримайте леді, що вона хоче. Здачі не треба.” Her blood ran cold, and she bent down to pick her daughter up, trying not to draw attention to the fact it was a child she was clutching. The bag fell to the stone pavement, the woman not caring about anything but getting the two of them away from that stall. As the man handed over the money to the vendor, she ducked her head down and quickly walked away from arms reach of him. Once she thought she was out of view, she took off running. Her arms gripped her daughter against her chest, keeping her tucked against her as she took off down a gap between two shops. There was a brief moment where she thought she’d been quick enough to lose him. But that didn’t last long, and soon she could hear footsteps behind her.

It was impossible to outrun him, and she knew this, but she had to try. Going as fast as she could, she weaved between buildings and streets, trying to shake him. He was gaining on her, and one wrong path brought her to a dead end. She slowed, knowing this was it. As her steps stopped, so did his. She didn’t turn to him. She couldn’t. 

“Anna?” his voice was hope and sorrow mixed into one, small question. A breath was caught in her throat as she slowly turned, holding the young girl so her face was hidden. She saw his expression shift from joy to shock. It was obvious he hadn’t noticed the child until that moment. His eyes glassed over as tears formed in them, a realization sweeping over him in an intense wave.

“James.”

Silence befell the two as the four year old slowly squirmed in her mother’s arms, moving so she could see the man who had followed them. Bucky held back his awe as best he could, but his stares gave him away.

“Is she..” He whispered. Anna nodded, now fighting back her own tears. She hadn’t wanted this, there was a reason she’d gone to such lengths to keep them hidden. Bucky let out an exhale he didn’t realize he’d been holding in. “Why.. why did you go. Why didn’t you tell me.”

“I’m sorry. I never planned for any of this. I thought you’d move on, forget about me.” Anna couldn’t look at him, his soft eyes tearing at her heart. She’d hurt him.

“How could I forget about you?” He took a step forward, and she took a step back.

“I can’t do this Buck. You need to go, forget you ever saw me, please.” She began moving sideways, inching towards an exit. “There’s too much at stake here.”

“No. No, I’m not leaving you again.” He took hurried steps towards her, blocking her from escaping. She breathed out involuntarily, a tear leaving a single streak down her face. Bucky looked at the girl in her arms, his heart aching at the sight of his daughter. His mind still hadn’t wrapped around the fact that the child was his, but he felt like losing sight of her would make him incomplete.

“Please, just talk to me. Take us somewhere safe so we can stop running.” His words echoed in her ear, refusing to leave. She longed for that, but every bit of her knew it was too dangerous. However, the storm had begun, and she knew that Bucky wasn’t going to let her go again. Especially not now, knowing that he’d gained something he never knew would make him feel so whole.

“Okay.” The agreement came against her better judgement, the Winter Soldier’s muscles untensed as relief washed over him. He smiled just a bit, eyes wandering to the girl who shyly clung to her mother’s chest.

“Can I see her?” he asked warily, not wanting to scare the small child. Anna paused before slowly nodding, and kneeling down to allow the girl to stand up on her own. Bucky mirrored them, getting down so he could be eye level with her. The child glanced cautiously at Bucky, not letting go of her grip on her mother’s coat. Anna leaned in and whispered something in her ear, something Bucky couldn’t make out. But slowly, hesitantly, the girl took a few step towards him. He couldn’t help but smile. She had his dark hair, his same blue eyes. It made him long to pull her into a tight embrace, but he let her approach on her own. He held out a hand, giving her a warm smile. The girl glanced back to her mother, who gave her a small nod, and her tiny hand wrapped around his fingers. The contact seemed to make the child feel more at ease, and she took a few more braves steps into him, throwing her arms around his neck. Bucky sat fully on the ground, scooping her into his arms and holding her there. His daughter.

When he pulled away, he could see the girl looking at him with a happy curiosity. He wondered if Anna had told her about him.

“Marie,” Anna’s voice broke the silence, and Bucky looked up, “her name’s Marie.”

He smiled once more. The name was more beautiful than any he’d heard before, and any he’d hear for the rest of his life.

**Author's Note:**

> This started as a one shot I wrote late one night, but I'm thinking of turning it into a small fic instead. We'll just have to see how much time I have on my hands...


End file.
